


Where the Pages Fall

by TheBuggu



Series: We Belong to the Sea [4]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU: Humanformers, AU: Merformers, M/M, Xeno implications
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3865606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBuggu/pseuds/TheBuggu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They wonder, just what is between them now? And does Prowl reciprocate? </p>
<p>Takes place directly after Water Rust and Undertow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where the Pages Fall

**Author's Note:**

> It's been too long since I wrote Merformers. 8I

“I think he forgot...”

“You always say that, Scavenger!” Long Haul hissed in irritation.

“Well, we wouldn't be so worried if you weren't so angry all the time, Long Haul,” Mixmaster snapped.

“Yeah? Well at least he doesn't look disgusted when _I_ eat fish, unlike Bonecrusher!” the seaweed wrapped Mer barked.

“What? I like eating!” Bonecrusher whined, pausing mid-chew with a bitten fish in hand.

“Enough!” Hook hissed, flaring his fins out and sending glares to each podmate. “A full night orb cycle has passed since this began. Something has been wrong with him these past few tides.”

“But...what?” Scavenger asked, clutching the land link token in his hands. The Mer gazed down at it sadly and hugged it to his chest.

They all remained silent.

Hook sat against a bumpy piece of coral, gazing up at the surface of the water. He then lowered his gaze to his pod, observing each member for a few moments. Scavenger sat the farthest from their group, with a handful of junk he found while exploring scattered on his tail. He would pick up a piece, one of the shiniest or brightest and hold it beside the token, seeming to compare the two. But he never seemed satisfied and threw the pieces he had collected over his shoulder.

Mixmaster watched Scavenger. Hook scowled. He could tell from the other Mer's posture that he was planning something to bother him. Mixmaster was crouching against his tail, perking up every time Scavenger tossed a trinket away. And literally seconds after the thought occurred, Mixmaster sprang forward and swam past Scavenger, grabbing the human garbage in the Mer's hand. Scavenger froze in surprise, but quickly followed and shrieked angrily.

Bonecrusher had resumed chomping on the fish he had caught. How simple the Mer was.

And Long Haul...Long Haul looked angry. He had been angry and bitter since Scrapper's death. Every time their human companion arrived though, his mood grew worse. Thankfully most of his wounds had healed. All that remained were tiny scratches from the once-deep cuts, but Hook did not want to take any chance. Long Haul could swim without support now. But, he would be wrapped with seaweed until fully healing; not a single nick on his skin or tail.

“Maybe he's sick. His kind always catch gross things, right?” Mixmaster pipped up and sank down against sand.

“Wait. I hear a boat!” Scavenger exclaimed and glanced up overheard.

Hook caught him by the arm before the other Mer could swim up. He growled and gave a swift smack across Scavenger's head. “How many times will you assume it's just him? We have to make sure first before we go near it!”

“Pretty sure it is,” Bonecrusher spoke up. “The engine has that...uh...growly sound.”

Bonecrusher was right, but Hook remained quiet.

Prowl used a thin, long boat whenever he traveled out to meet them. Maybe to be discreet and avoid attention from other humans.

“Water rust!” Mixmaster cried out suddenly.

They all quickly moved up in alert.

Hook scanned the distance.

He could see the long figure swimming along underneath the boat. There was no mistaking the tail length or the way the figure swam back and forth—too different to be a Mer.

They all watched with apprehension as the boat came to a halt. The engine shut off. Prowl leaned over to one side and peered into the water. They reacted on instinct and darted forward. The sea naga was just as quick to climb onto the boat.

“Get this thing turned over!” Hook ordered and pressed up against the underside of the boat. He could hear muffled thumping in it. Signs of a struggle. “Now!”

They all pushed up against one side, even Long Haul despite his earlier irritation. The sense of urgency grew with each push they gave against the metal.

Finally, after summoning all their strength, the boat tipped over. A squirming Prowl, entangled by a large tail and creature attached to it fell into the water.

They all hissed in unison as their glares moved from Prowl to the naga. It was an ugly creature, having a banded black and white pattern running from the tip of his tail onto his back. A yellow face stared at each of them in consideration. “Ah, ah. Careful little chromis,” he spoke and wrapped his tail tightly around Prowl.

Prowl was struggling to hold his breath. The creature squeezed and constricted his chest.

“Release him!” Hook snarled, flaring his fins out.

“Now, I just want to have a nice conversation with you Mer,” the naga replied back. He lifted his right arm, a stub with an large and odd hook on it. He grabbed Prowl's chin and roughly yanked it up.

“Let him breathe!” Scavenger cried, swishing his tail back and forth in panic.

“Breathe?” the naga mirrored and glanced at Scavenger with a bemused expression. “But, isn't it more fun when they bubble out and die? Or maybe a bite will suffice.”

“How about I bite your other arm off instead?!” Bonecrusher snarled.

Prowl was beginning to lose his color.

“I suppose this one's enough of a looker to have a--what's the words humans say?--A _fetish_. Yes,” the naga continued and tilted Prowl's head back and forth to mockingly examine it.

“ _Fetish_?” Mixmaster repeated the foreign human word quietly in curiosity. Scavenger hit his mid-section with a jab of the elbow.

“But wait. I only count one, two, three, four, five,” the naga murmured, pointing at each of them once. “Where's your alpha?”

They all glared.

“How do you know you aren't looking at him?” Long Haul spoke up, crossing his arms defiantly.

The naga only laughed. “You? Any of you?” he barked in amusement. “Yer all a shaking mess like newly hatched fry!”

Hook swam forward, clenching his webbed hands angrily. “We'll tell you. After you let him breathe,” he replied dryly, nodding to Prowl.

The naga rubbed his chin and thought. Just as quickly, he uncoiled away from Prowl. But he kept his tail snug around one leg. Luckily, they were only a few feet below the surface. Prowl flapped his arms wildly and splashed carelessly. It was the quickest they'd ever seen him swim up through water.

They all produced loud sighs of relief when Prowl _drank_ air through his mouth. He was still alive...

“Well?” the naga asked expectantly, giving a threatening tug on Prowl's leg.

“He's gone,” Hook admitted.

“And you're trying to hurt our new alpha!” Long Haul hissed and flared his fins out.

The naga blinked and made a skeptical expression. “What.”

“It's true,” Scavenger added and frowned. “So...just let him go!”

“You lot have to be the most pathetic group of Mer if that's true,” the naga said casually. “And I suppose I no longer have business with any of you. Nobody wants to buy a bunch of broken Mers that only want one human,” he added with a smirk and released Prowl's leg.

In a flash, the naga darted away, swaying his long tail back and forth behind him as he weaved past them. And just as quickly, they swarmed Prowl and rose above the water. His expression was dazed, but he was still breathing and keeping himself floating.

Hook sent one last glance after the Naga and frowned.

But, to their surprise, boats flew out onto the water. Several had been hiding along the coastline. They came from all over, from both sides and from behind as well.

“Friends...waiting. Trick?” Prowl gasped softly in Mer. It surprised them how quickly he was learning to speak coherently.

They all nodded in understanding and watched as boats sped up to the naga and dropped net after net. Normally, they despised fishing and nets, but they all shared the same wicked glee when he finally became trapped and trashed wildly. He was lifted out of water and secured on one of the boats.

Long Haul was the first to react. He in inched closer to Prowl, grabbed the human by his chin, and planted their mouths together. They all watched with surprise and grew envious.

“ _Fetish?_ ” Mixmaster asked quietly.

Prowl made a throaty moan.

They all swallowed at hearing such a beautiful noise from the human. And just as quickly, they all moved closer.

Prowl seemed to regain his senses and he splashed to get their attention. He pulled back from Long Haul and stammered in his own language.

“Long Haul, did you bite his tongue or something?” Hook hissed.

“No!” said Mer growled. “He's doing it _again_.”

“Not like we're trying to drown him,” Bonecrusher muttered.

Hook sighed before nodding. He swam up to Prowl and grabbed one arm firmly. “You two, help,” he said glancing to Mixmaster and Bonecrusher. “We're going to settle this. Now.”

Luckily, Prowl didn't put up much of a struggle as they swam back to their hidden cove, making sure to give him enough air every few minutes. This was going to be talked out. One way or another. One language or another.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta'd because I'm tired ;B
> 
> Don't worry, the story will pick up about just what the hell is going on and why that certain unnamed Naga (but technically has been named already) was caught. But. I'm too tired to write more atm. hehehe


End file.
